A Player Appearance Gone Wrong – Video Style

My family name, a handful of generations ago, actually used to be O’Burne, til my however-many-great Grandpa moved across and chucked the “O” in the middle to avoid persecution. Or so the story goes. Either way, I claim to be fully Irish today (as does everyone else), partly because there isn’t a Ukranian celebration day where I can shamelessly drink beer.

So, something different for ya! A video blog. It’s been a long time. (I shouldn’t-a left you. Without a dope beat to step to.)

I was going to write about player appearances, so instead, I just told the story. Hope you likes!

{By the way, if you’re looking for reading to do, my column for USA Today is up. I weigh in on the GM’s freshly pressed blindside rule. Recommend and comment ’til your heart’s content!}

I had a similar incident not too long ago in a player appearance with my semi-pro soccer team at a clinic for little kids. We were playing a soccer version of sharks and minnows. So I’m dribbling the ball, and I take a heavy touch, and this little kid goes to kid my ball away and instead, me with my outstreched leg, trying to regain control of the ball, I trip over the little guy’s leg. I was down and out. He’s probably 8 or 9 years old, and he just took out a college sophomore. I hope it boosted his ego, because I didn’t hear the end of that one for a while. Naturally, I called the foul and gave him an imaginary yellow card.

Nice blog, Justin. I’m from Fairbanks, and I’m a lifelong Nanooks fan, but after college, anybody who played in Alaska is alright by me. So no hard feelings!

As I’ve ran this blog, I’ve been constantly surprised by how quick people are to be beer snobs – and that’s not a bad thing penaltykiller, I like the good beer too. (I’ve frequently mentioned running a weekly or monthly all beer edition.)

But I definitely get the impression that the people recommending good beer don’t binge drink much. Not trying to be “that guy”, but come on: I’ve got no kids, a writing job (I make my hours), and warm weather here in AZ, so we’ll occasionally drink too many by the pool. For me, running on the treadmill the next day and watching my burnt calorie ticker (I’m at my playing weight without the muscle), I’d much rather have less time to run the next day. I’m like the Mich Ultra commercials, with half the douche. (I hope.)

Ha! about the beer snob thing…Would I be considered a beer snob if my go-to fave is still Labatt Blue? I’m sorry, but there is nothing that sounds better to me after being out in the hot sun on a construction site than a nice, cold Blue in a frosty mug! Can’t do the Miller thing…too much like p-water! I guess I wasn’t enuf of a “volume consumer” to have to switch to something cheaper. : O )

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About Justin Bourne

I'm a hockey player turned writer. After playing for Alaska Anchorage in the WCHA (NCAA), I carried on with an NHL tryout (New York Islanders in 2007) before spending a couple seasons in the AHL/ECHL (last year was 2008-09). My father, Bob Bourne, won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders in the '80's, as did my fiancee's dad, Clark Gillies. I'm now the web editor for theScore's hockey blog "Backhand Shelf."

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If you have a great suggestion, question, idea, or just some awesome pictures that would suit the flavour of Bourne's Blog, send them to me at JTBOURNE@GMAIL.COM and I'll happily try to work 'em in. In general, I prefer all other remarks to be left in the comments section so we can participate in the conversation together.

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To my Mom, Dad, Glenn, brother Jeff and my fiance Brianna... thank you, I love you guys. Also, Uncle Ken, you've been an immeasurable help in this and I'm infinitely grateful. All my love to Aunt Kathy and Grandma, two of my favourite people in the world. Also to the extended family in Saskatchewan, I miss you guys. Thanks to friends like Neil Corbett and Dave Cunning for your support in an obscure endevour like this, and to friends like Charlie Kronschnabel and Nick Lowe for being guys who'll like me and not care (or possibly ask) why or what weird project I'm scheming on now. And thanks to all you long-lost-but-still-important friends I didn't mention. You know who you are.